Iowa's Board of Law Examiners is officially giving breast-feeding mothers a break.
The board has clarified its policies to allow new moms time to breast-feed during the Iowa Bar Exam, which they must pass before practicing law in Iowa, said Dave Ewert, assistant director for admissions for the Iowa Bar Exam.
"We want to make sure they feel comfortable there," Ewert said.
The change came after the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa inquired about the issue in July. The national ACLU and Law Students for Reproductive Justice had given Iowa a letter-grade of C for its accommodations for women during the bar exam, which is a two-day test for law school graduates to become licensed to practice law.
After the recent changes, Iowa is rated at an A- for its treatment of women.
"It's really important. I don't think people always understand the special needs of a breast-feeding mom," said Veronica Fowler, spokeswoman for the Iowa ACLU who added that new mothers need a private, sanitary place to pump breast milk.
Access to accommodations is a problem for many working mothers across the United States, local advocates said.
The Iowa Bar Exam has always provided accommodations to breast-feeding mothers when it was requested, but the state's Board of Law Examiners previously did not have explicit policies listed on its website, Ewert said. Now, the website states that people needing accommodations should contact the board's office, which will work with each individual.
"The board will ensure breast-pumping applicants can bring necessary equipment to the exam site and are able to express milk in a sanitary and private setting with access to electrical outlets," the website states.
The two-day test typically allows a 75-minute lunch break in between three-hour sessions, Ewert said. The board would likely allow women longer breaks from the bar exam to pump breast milk if they have proper medical documentation.
Ewert estimated that as many as two women each year ask for accommodations for breast-feeding during the exam.
Katie Ervin Carlson, a working attorney and mother in Des Moines, helped connect Iowa ACLU officials with members of the Iowa Board of Law Examiners, though she does not serve on the board.
"I think it's very important for employers to support working moms," she said.
Although a small number of women may be directly affected by the change to the bar exam's policies, it's important for the state to send a message to women that having a family shouldn't inhibit their professional goals, she said.
"We're not going to put people in the position to have to choose one or another," she said.
She also appreciates that the change supports women working in law, which is a field often dominated by men, she said.
Carlson and Fowler said the Iowa Board of Law Examiners was quick to work on adjusting its policy.
"It was a very smooth, fairly painless process," Carlson said.
Local advocates for breast-feeding mothers said they are thrilled with the bar exam's change.
"I think it's amazing," said Liz Neighbors, co-chairwoman of the Iowa Breastfeeding Coalition. "These guidelines that have improved are huge and, hopefully, other professions will follow suit."
Iowa state law and federal laws offer some protections to breast-feeding women. Under state law, women are allowed to breast-feed in any public place they are otherwise permitted to be.
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to provide accommodations for breast-feeding employees, including reasonable break times and a private place for women to pump breast milk.
But despite those laws, working women still often struggle with the issue.
Carlson said lawyers are often fortunate enough to have a private place to pump breast milk because they often have their own offices, but many working women don't have a private place and often resort to pumping breast milk in a bathroom. She hopes these types of accommodations will continue to improve all workplaces.
"A bathroom is not an appropriate place to pump," Neighbors said. "Women need to be able to have a private place that can lock and that's clean."
With Iowa's rating of breast-feeding accommodations for the bar exam recently changed to an A- by the ACLU, the state ranks among the best in the U.S. In the Midwest, South Dakota, Minnesota and Illinois have A ratings, Missouri has a D rating, and Nebraska has a C rating, according to the ACLU. Like Iowa, Minnesota also adjusted its policies in response to the ACLU.
Fowler said she's not aware of any additional organized efforts forthcoming from the Iowa ACLU to pursue better accommodations for breast-feeding women.
http://www.press-citizen.com/story/...eding-breaks-now-part-iowa-bar-exam/80574224/
The board has clarified its policies to allow new moms time to breast-feed during the Iowa Bar Exam, which they must pass before practicing law in Iowa, said Dave Ewert, assistant director for admissions for the Iowa Bar Exam.
"We want to make sure they feel comfortable there," Ewert said.
The change came after the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa inquired about the issue in July. The national ACLU and Law Students for Reproductive Justice had given Iowa a letter-grade of C for its accommodations for women during the bar exam, which is a two-day test for law school graduates to become licensed to practice law.
After the recent changes, Iowa is rated at an A- for its treatment of women.
"It's really important. I don't think people always understand the special needs of a breast-feeding mom," said Veronica Fowler, spokeswoman for the Iowa ACLU who added that new mothers need a private, sanitary place to pump breast milk.
Access to accommodations is a problem for many working mothers across the United States, local advocates said.
The Iowa Bar Exam has always provided accommodations to breast-feeding mothers when it was requested, but the state's Board of Law Examiners previously did not have explicit policies listed on its website, Ewert said. Now, the website states that people needing accommodations should contact the board's office, which will work with each individual.
"The board will ensure breast-pumping applicants can bring necessary equipment to the exam site and are able to express milk in a sanitary and private setting with access to electrical outlets," the website states.
The two-day test typically allows a 75-minute lunch break in between three-hour sessions, Ewert said. The board would likely allow women longer breaks from the bar exam to pump breast milk if they have proper medical documentation.
Ewert estimated that as many as two women each year ask for accommodations for breast-feeding during the exam.
Katie Ervin Carlson, a working attorney and mother in Des Moines, helped connect Iowa ACLU officials with members of the Iowa Board of Law Examiners, though she does not serve on the board.
"I think it's very important for employers to support working moms," she said.
Although a small number of women may be directly affected by the change to the bar exam's policies, it's important for the state to send a message to women that having a family shouldn't inhibit their professional goals, she said.
"We're not going to put people in the position to have to choose one or another," she said.
She also appreciates that the change supports women working in law, which is a field often dominated by men, she said.
Carlson and Fowler said the Iowa Board of Law Examiners was quick to work on adjusting its policy.
"It was a very smooth, fairly painless process," Carlson said.
Local advocates for breast-feeding mothers said they are thrilled with the bar exam's change.
"I think it's amazing," said Liz Neighbors, co-chairwoman of the Iowa Breastfeeding Coalition. "These guidelines that have improved are huge and, hopefully, other professions will follow suit."
Iowa state law and federal laws offer some protections to breast-feeding women. Under state law, women are allowed to breast-feed in any public place they are otherwise permitted to be.
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to provide accommodations for breast-feeding employees, including reasonable break times and a private place for women to pump breast milk.
But despite those laws, working women still often struggle with the issue.
Carlson said lawyers are often fortunate enough to have a private place to pump breast milk because they often have their own offices, but many working women don't have a private place and often resort to pumping breast milk in a bathroom. She hopes these types of accommodations will continue to improve all workplaces.
"A bathroom is not an appropriate place to pump," Neighbors said. "Women need to be able to have a private place that can lock and that's clean."
With Iowa's rating of breast-feeding accommodations for the bar exam recently changed to an A- by the ACLU, the state ranks among the best in the U.S. In the Midwest, South Dakota, Minnesota and Illinois have A ratings, Missouri has a D rating, and Nebraska has a C rating, according to the ACLU. Like Iowa, Minnesota also adjusted its policies in response to the ACLU.
Fowler said she's not aware of any additional organized efforts forthcoming from the Iowa ACLU to pursue better accommodations for breast-feeding women.
http://www.press-citizen.com/story/...eding-breaks-now-part-iowa-bar-exam/80574224/
